THE CRY OF OVER-PRODUCTION 325 



commodity is crowded on to certain markets is not 

 necessarily ' over-production.' It may represent only 

 imperfect and ill-regulated distribution, and an inade- 

 quate resort to practical measures for utilizing a surplus. 

 If all the fruit grown in this country were sent to 

 Covent Garden, there would certainly be a very substan- 

 tial ' glut ' upon that market, and loud complaints about 

 ' over-production ' would follow. But there are other 

 markets, to which the fruit is sent ; there are retailers 

 who buy direct from the growers ; there are jam- 

 makers who buy up enormous quantities ; and, as I 

 have told already, there are the prospects of a substan- 

 tial industry in canned and bottled fruits, not to mention 

 the possible growing of our own apples in larger 

 quantity, in place of the big imports from Canada or 

 elsewhere. 



Then an improved distribution should be followed by 

 an increased consumption. The British public have 

 yet to recognise fully the food value alike of fruit, of 

 vegetables, and of milk. They still regard them (except 

 in the case of potatoes and one or two of the vegetables) 

 too much in the light of luxuries, instead of as regular 

 and most desirable articles of diet. But the progress 

 already made during the past few years is suggestive of 

 a greater demand still to come ; while here, again, there 

 is the question whether businesses could not be worked 

 up (as suggested in the case of English-grown asparagus) 

 for the preserving of vegetables for winter use or for 

 export. As for eggs and poultry of English production, 

 the demand for these is inexhaustible, provided they 

 can be put on the market at a reasonable price. 



There is, in fact, no real reason for crying ' Halt !' in 

 regard to the various phases of production dealt with in 

 the present volume, however great the need for more 

 markets and better marketing. The 'transition' may 



